A DEVASTATED sister said she is still trying to come to terms with the fact that she'll never see her brother again.
This after her brother burnt to death in his shack on Saturday, 8 July.
Mandisa Kokoyi (31) died in a fire at KwaMasinenge in KZN, which also destroyed about 111 shacks. But the cause of the fire is still unknown.
Mandisa's sister, Sisanda Gazela (27), told Daily Sun her brother was sleeping alone in his shack when the fire broke out. She said Mandisa used to drink alcohol every weekend with his friends, but he was sober on that fateful day.
"His friends told me that he left them drinking saying he was feeling tired and wanted to sleep. He left them and went to his shack. As he had locked himself in his shack, I suspect he tried to look for the key when the fire started, but couldn't find it.
ALSO READ| Bushiris off the hook . . . AGAIN!
"I think what caused more problems and difficulty for him was the fact that an empty gas cylinder in his room burst during the fire. His body was found near the door, so I suspect he was trying to escape but failed," she said.
Sisanda said she and her brother are originally from Bhizana in the Eastern Cape and were in Durban for work.
This is the worst tragedy for our family. I'm still trying to come to terms with his sudden death. I'm in disbelief that he is gone and I will never see him again.
She said Mandisa worked for a private company in Durban and had one child.
Meanwhile, the KZN Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) activated the disaster management team along with the KZN Social Development to take immediate action to address the aftermath of the fire.
Preliminary reports indicate that the fire affected more than 300 people who were left homeless. Government officials are providing help to the fire victims, which includes hot meals and supplies.
Cogta MEC Bongiwe Sithole-Moloi extended condolences to Mandisa's family.
"The provincial government has assembled a dedicated team to conduct a thorough assessment of the situation and determine the full extent of the damage. Dedicated disaster response teams are working tirelessly at the scene to prevent the fire from spreading to undamaged homes while simultaneously assisting the affected individuals," she said.
Sithole-Moloi said priority is being given to those who have lost important documents such as IDs, birth certificates and Sassa cards.
KZN police spokeswoman Constable Thenjiswa Ngcobo, said Margate cops have opened an inquest docket for investigation.
